Black-Owned St. Louis Restaurants You Should Have Tried By Now

The River Lillie
1435 Salisbury Street
St. Louis, MO 63107
314-833-4335

Maggie Hourd-Bryant is fiercely protective of her recipe for smothered potatoes. It's not that she won't spill the tea to customers — she doesn't even let those helping her out in the kitchen know the details, insisting that she prepare them herself. It's this kind of attention to detail and commitment to greatness that makes The River Lillie so special. Hourd-Bryant's Southern-inflected breakfast and lunch foods are the epitome of daytime comfort.

Cathy's Kitchen
250 S. Florissant Rd.
Ferguson, MO 63135
(314) 524-9200

Cathy Jenkins opened Cathy's Kitchen after taking a trip based on places she'd seen on the Food Network. Her restaurant's menu categorizes dishes based on their region of origin, giving diners the opportunity to try meals from states and cities across the country. Today Cathy's Kitchen attracts locals and celebrity visitors alike. Photo by Kelly Glueck.

Bru Tea
3320 Meramec St.
St. Louis, MO 63111
(314) 875-0644

All tea aficionados should pay a visit to Bru Tea, where both traditional and unique varieties of tea await. You can also buy teaware while you're there, including tea sets, cast iron pots and more. In addition to the awesome tea, the welcoming, knowledgable staff keeps customers coming back. Photo courtesy of Instagram / agrownup.

Steve's Hot Dogs
Locations in Tower Grove East and the Hill

You can't talk about hot dogs in St. Louis without giving a much-deserved mention to Steve's Hotdogs. Musician Steve Ewing saw a void in St. Louis when looking for something to eat late at night after seeing a show, so he took inspiration from the street food scenes in other cities and created Steve's Hot Dogs. Now, you can enjoy his restaurant's menu of creative hot dogs, burgers and mac and cheese bowls. Photo by Sara Bannoura.

Reed's American Table
7322 Manchester Rd.
Maplewood, MO 63143
(314) 899-9821

Reeds American Table serves comfort food raised with sophistication. The menu is unique in that it is based off of the food team members have been exposed to throughout life and where they were raised. Whether you're there for dinner, brunch or simply for drinks, Reeds American Table is sure to impress. Photo by Mabel Suen.

Irie Eats Jamaican Restaurant
8428 Olive Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63132
(314) 395-8821

Owner Carlton Brackett's Irie Eats Jamaican Restaurant is a family affair; his daughter Latoy and his brother Rohan are also on staff. The restaurant serves traditional Jamaican cuisine in generous portion sizes, and the atmosphere will make you feel like you're on vacation. You can also get an array of drinks at the bar, where you can try the house special "rum punch" made with Jamaican spiced rums and juices. Photo by Jessy Kinzel.

SweetFixx
4420 Manchester Avenue
St. Louis, MO
314-224-5611

SweetFixx owner Katina Mims dreamed of making desserts like the ones she saw on Ace of Cakes and Cupcake Wars. Four years ago that dream came true when her dipped Oreos were noticed by a “promoter” on Instagram. She says the phones haven’t stopped ringing since. SweetFixx is a family operation — her mother helps work the front of the house while her sister assists with the baking. They serve cupcakes, cake pops, candy apples and gorgeously dipped Oreos. Photo by Sarah Fenske.

Stix and Ice
35 Florissant Oaks Shopping Center
Florissant, MO 63031

Erika Wilkes, a marketing, business and technology teacher at Jennings Senior High, is the brains behind this fun concept. Stix and Ice focuses on daiquris (in all sorts of flavors), as well as kabobs made with chicken, beef, shrimp and/or veggies. But Stix and Ice is more than a place for food and drink: it's intended to be a be a local hangout, complete with a jukebox, a photo booth and hookah. Photo by Taylor Vinson.

La Patisserie Chouquette
1626 Tower Grove Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63110
(314) 932-7935

Simone Faure contributed a true gem to St. Louis when she opened La Patisserie Chouquette in 2013. This French-inspired shop offers afternoon tea in addition to treats like cakes and French macarons. Take one taste, and you'll know you'll be back for more. Photo by Mabel Suen.

Gobble Stop Smokehouse
1227 Castillons Arcade Plz
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
(314) 878-5586

Family-owned and operated, Gobble Stop Smokehouse started with an incredible recipe for turkey tips in 2009. DeMarco Howard and his brother, DeMones, co-own the smokehouse along with their extended family. Voted Best Chicken Wings in Missouri by Thrillist and ranked No. 2 on Yelp’s Top BBQ Restaurants in Missouri in 2016, Gobble Stop aims to give you a culinary experience your taste buds will never forget. Photo of owner DeMarco Howard by Jennifer Silverberg.

Northwest Coffee Roasting Company
Locations in Clayton and the Central West End

Looking for artisan coffee? Northwest Coffee Roasting Company is at your service. Northwest Coffee Roasting Company sources beans from all over the globe, giving coffee lovers many flavors to try. If you're looking for an extra dose of ambiance, the Central West End location also has a fire pit. Photo courtesy of Yelp / Bartell K.

Five Aces Bar-B-Que
4000 Shaw Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63110
(314) 771-4001

Previously the home of Mama Josephine's, this neighborhood spot in Shaw has been serving hungry customers for years. Now, the small storefront is home to Antonio Ellis' Five Aces Bar-B-Que -- and while the food is different, it's just as delicious. Pro tip: you need to try the pulled chicken sandwich. Photo by Mabel Suen.

Bar Italia
13 Maryland Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63108
(314) 361-7010

Mengesha Yohannes, who is originally from Ethiopia, co-owns Bar Italia. Located amid the hustle and bustle of the Central West End, his restaurant boasts great Italian food, wines from around the globe, house-made gelato and more. To top it off, Bar Italia's patio is one of the best in the city. Photo of Bar Italia courtesy of Instagram / baritaliastl.

Pharoah’s Donuts
200 North Seventh Street
St. Louis, MO 63102
(314) 351-0285

Amon Aziz and his daughter Syeeda Aziz-Morris run this local favorite downtown. Pharaoh’s Donuts serves up old-school donuts, including long johns, buttermilk cake, glazed and more. If you have a sweet tooth, you’re sure to love it. Photo by Mabel Suen.

Turn
3224 Locust St.
St. Louis, MO 63103
(314) 240-5157

Formerly a DJ, chef David Kirkland made a name for himself in the St. Louis food scene in the nearly ten years he spent as executive chef at Cafe Osage before striking out to create David Kirkland Catering and then Turn. Located in the .ZACK building in Grand Center, his restaurant offers breakfast and lunch items that are both sophisticated and delicious. The decor includes a mural of album covers -- perfect for the DJ-turned-chef. Photo by Mabel Suen.

Baby Kakez
3305 Olive St.
St. Louis, MO 63103

Previously a gym, this storefront across from Saint Louis University is now home to stellar desserts. Baby Kakez owner Michelle Jones' love of baking initially began as a hobby. Now, her bakery serves cupcakes as well as popcorn, "kakes," "kake slices," cake pop bouquets and "Pretzel Nibs." Photo by Sarah Fenske.

Teatopia
2606 Cherokee St.
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) 669-1464

Tea lovers cannot miss a trip to Teatopia, which serves more than 40 teas in addition to breakfast items, smoothies and salads. The shop is tiny, but its goal is big: Reginald "Reo" Quarles aims to better customers' lives when they visit. With teas ranging from the traditional to exotic and everything in between, you're bound to find one you love. Photo by Sarah Fenske.

Sweetie Pie’s
3643 Delmar Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63108
(314) 932-5364

A favorite soul food restaurant and star of its own reality show, Sweetie Pies restaurants have become a must-visit destination for anyone looking for delicious comfort food and great service. Robbie Montgomery opened Sweetie Pies Restaurant with her son, Tim Norman. They now have four locations — one in Texas, two in California and one in St. Louis -- where they offer delicious soul food like Montgomery's mother taught her to make. Photo by Sarah Rusnak.

SweetArt
2203 S. 39th St.
St. Louis, MO 63110
(314) 771-4278

This funky little south city cafe focuses on community and changing lives for the better. SweetArt makes an effort to source as many ingredients as possible from local businesses in the area and makes its treats without any trans fats, artificial flavors or high-fructose corn syrup. A breakfast and lunch menu is available, too. Photo by Kholood Eid.

Mom’s Soul Food
4909 Delmar Blvd.
Saint Louis MO 63108
(314) 328-1333

Family-operated, Mom’s Soul Food prepares everything on the menu entirely from scratch. From fried chicken to peach cobbler to mac and cheese, the menu has something for you -- and the daily specials are the perfect excuse to come back more often. Photo of "Mom," Leola Meeks, by Kayci Merritte.